Apparatus for aerating and irrigating soil.



L. W. CARR.

APPARATUS FOR AERATING AND IRRIGATING SOIL.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 20, 1913.

1 1 08,334, Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

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Inventor y I I o Attorneys wherein the soil will tucran wrcnn, orcnnwronbsvrnnn', I'ItDI'ANA.

' mnna'rus non nnna'rme AND IBRIGA'IING soIL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 2c, 1913.Serial in. 790,311.

To all whom'z't may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCLAN citizen of the United States,

W. CARR, a

residin at Crawfordsville, in the county of ontgomery and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Aerating andIrrigating Soil, is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatusfor the aerating and irrigating ofsoil.

An object of the present invention is to rovide an apparatus, in thepresent drawings illustrated in connection with avase, be maintained ina moist and aerated condition,

A further object is to provide a water and air chamber disposed beneaththe layer of soil and separated therefrom by a porous or perforatedplate, through which plate extends a number of tubes, either perforatedor porous and which tubes extend up within the soil so that the watervapors will pass up through the soil for the aerating and irrigatingthereof.

A further object is to provide an apparatus such as may be used to growflowers upon the tops of monuments and similar inaccessible places andwhich apparatus will maintain the soil in an aerated and moist conditionby providing the apparatus with a quantity of water at the expiration oflengthy intervals of time, such as every two or three months.

A further object is to provide an appa ratus in which the soil will bemaintained in a moist condition by the evaporation of water from a waterreservoir, the vapors from which pass upward through porous plates andpenetrate in the soil adjacent the roots of the plant life so as toapplythe moisture at the most efi'ective places.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention,

of which the following of construction hereinafter described andclaimed, it being understood that In the drawings accompanying thisspecificatlon and forming a art thereof, the preferable embodiment o myinvention is illustrated, in which the figure represents a verticalsectional view of, vase constructed along the lines of my invention.

eferring to the drawing in which similar reference numerals designatecorresp0nd-' mg parts throughout the several views, 1 designates a vasemounted upon a supportmg pedestal .2, the latter bein provided with anop ning 3 extending tfir top thereo The cross sectional contour orconfiguration of thevase 1 and parts carried thereby is of noconsequence and may be varied or modified to as great a degree asconsistent with the successful operation of the whole, or amplified asconditions may warrant.

The vase or receptacle 1 is provided with a. porous or perforated plate4 extending horizontally thereacross and dividing the vase into an uppersoil receiving receptacle 5 and a lower water containing reservoir 6. Aperforated or porous tube 7 extends down through the receptacle 5 andreservoir 6 and is fixedly secured to the bottom of the latter. The tube'7 is open at its upper extremity and in addition to serving as a waterinlet also provides for the admission of air to the air chamber which isdefined by the upper surface of the liquid within the water reservoir 6as a bottom and the plate 4- as a top. The tube 7 surrounds a valveopening 8 which opening communicates with and is positioned above theopening 3 of the pedestal 2. A valve 9 is provided with the longitudinalbore 10 extending therethrough and which bore also communicates with theopening 3 of the pedestal at-its lower extremity and communicates withthe water reservoir 6 through the opening 11' adjacent its upperextremity and which opening defines the level of the liquid within thereservoir.

The, lower portion of the valve 9 when in a seated condition asillustrated in the drawings closes the outlet openings 12 whichcommunicate with the lower extremity of the water reservoir 6 and thevalve opening 7 I 8 so that when the valve 9 is raised the res IPatented Aug. 25, 1914."

ough the A a with the rod ervoir may be drained, the water passingthrough the openings or ducts 12 down into the pedestal 2. The valve 9is provided 13 projecting up through the tube 7 and provided with theterminal eye 14 so that the valve may be easily raised and lowered. Theguide head 15 which contacts with the side walls of the tube 7 andinsures the proper seating of the valve in the. valve seat or' opening8.

Positioned in the water reservoir and extending up through suitableopenings in the {plate 4: are the tubes 16 which are formed of porousmaterial or may be provided'with a plurality of perforations extendingtherethrough. These tubes project well up into the soil containingreservoir 5 and are adapted to conduct the-air and vapors from the airand liquid containing receptacle 6 up in the soil to provide for theproper aerating and irrigating thereof.

The overflow opening 11 which controls the height of liquid within theliquid con. -'taining reservoir 6 is spaced some distance below thetransverse plate 4 so that an air chamber will always be present" abovethe surface of the water and which air chamber is provided with freshair down through the air and water inlet tube 7 which communicatestherewith. Thus the air chamber; will be constantly provided with fresh,air which insures tor a constantevaporation o the water, the supply ofair however being such that the vapor density will be maintained nearthe point of saturation'at all times. The saturated vapors pass upthrough the tubes 16'and properly aerate and irrigate thesoil, the gasesor vapors making their way through the soil and maintaining the same ina productive condition for plant life. If at any time it is desired todrain the water reservoir, the

1 same may be quickly as well as easily accomplished by manuallyengaging the eye 14 of the rod 13 and moving the valve upward whichallows the water to escape down? through the pedestal 2. y I I The manyadvantages of the apparatus as herewith disclosed will be appreciatedand: mention is made of the iact'th'at the size: and shape of the vessel1 does not in any way'infiuence the action of the device as it may beapplied with equal facility tohot,

beds with no definite limitations, in which event the soil receivingreceptacle would be omitted and the liquid containing tank po-T sitionedin the ground with the porous plate 4 supported thereabove and the earthfilled in on the plate, the air and water'inlet tubeprojecting above thetop surface thereof.

Having thus fully described 'my'invention;

what I claim is 1. In an apparatus of the class described,-

supported support soil valve is provided with a 'ing with the reservoir,

the'combination of a liquid containing reservoir, a plate extendingthereacross and thereby, said plate adapted to thereabove and allowingfor the passage of moisture and air therethrough, an air and water inlettube extending throughthe'said plate and communicatmeans positionedwithin said tube preventing the rise of liquid within the reservoirabove a certain height, to thereb insure an air space between the upperevel ofthe liquid and below the said plate, and moisture and airconducting tubes positioned within the said liquid containing reservoirand through and above said plate, said tubes allowing for the passage ofwater and air therethrough for the irrigating and aerating of the soildisposed upon the said plate.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a liquidreceiving reservoir, a plate extending thereacross and sup portedthereby, said plate adapted to support soil thereabove and allowing forthe passage of moisture and air therethrough, an air and water inlettube extending extending through the said plate communicating wit thesaid liquid containing reservoir, a valve disposed within said tubeallowing for the draining of said liquid containing'res'ervoir, anoverflow for said reservoir preventing the level of the water reachingthe height of the said plate to thereby provide an air chambertherebetween, and means extending through the said plate adapted toconduct air and moisture from the air chamber up in the said soil.

3. An apparatus of the class described" comprising a liquid receivingreservoir, 2 plate. extending thereacross and supported thereby, an airand water inlet tube extend- -1ng through said plate and communicatingwith the said reservoir, a valve controlled means for the draining ofsaid reservoir, said valve provided with an overflow opening forlimiting the height of liquid within the reservoir to provide anairchamber bei tween the liquid and the said plate, and

aerating and irrigating tubes positioned within the said liquidreceiving reservoir extending through and above the said plate soilsupported by the said plate.

4. An apparatus of the character indisaid plate, sald lower compartmentprovided with an outlet opening, a valve member closing said opening andguided in its motion by the walls of said tube, said valve provided witha bore extending centrally thereadapted to supply air and moisture tothe through, en overflow 0 ning' communicatas my own, I have hereuntoafiixed my siging wlifh thebore 1i) said; valve, autonature in thepresence of 'two witnesses. matica y overnin t e level of 1i uid withinthe sai reservoifi, said tube pro kid'mg for LUCIAN CARE 5 the ingressof air and water within the reser- Witnesses:

vein, supplying aperous gases to the soil. CLYDE H. Jones,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing JANE'A. MAHONEY.

